# MP Profile: Stuart Smith (National) | Field | Value | | ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Full Name** | Stuart Tayler Smith | | **Electorate** | Kaikōura | | **Party** | National Party | | **Parliamentary Service** | Since 20 September 2014 (51st, 52nd, 53rd, 54th Parliaments) | | **Current Role** | Chief Government Whip (Senior Whip, National Party) — from 4 March 2025 | | **Born** | 1963 (age 62–63) | | **Profile Date** | 8 June 2026 | --- ## Current Roles | Role | Body | Date Appointed | | -------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | -------------- | | **Chief Government Whip (Senior Government Whip)** | National Party Caucus | 4 March 2025 | | **Member** | Business Committee (Parliament) | 9 April 2025 | | **Member** | Cabinet Legislation Committee (LEG) | 2025 | | **New Zealand Chair** | Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) | Current | **Previous senior roles:** - Chair, Finance and Expenditure Committee (December 2023 – February 2025) — oversaw Banking Inquiry and Climate Adaptation Inquiry - Deputy Chair, Primary Production Committee (2014–2017) - Deputy Chair, Social Services Committee (2017) - National Party Spokesperson for: Civil Defence, Climate Change, Earthquake Commission (EQC), Energy & Resources, Immigration, Viticulture --- ## Relevance Score: 🟡 MEDIUM **Explanation:** As Chief Government Whip, Smith holds significant procedural power (managing caucus discipline, speaking lists, attendance) but does not hold a ministerial portfolio directly touching seniors. However: - He chaired the **Finance and Expenditure Committee** during the Climate Adaptation Inquiry — climate-related insurance costs and property resilience disproportionately affect older homeowners and retirees on fixed incomes. - He has **active engagement with retirement village communities** in his electorate (Ashwood Park Retirement Village, Amberley Retirement Village visits with PM). - He accompanied the Prime Minister to the **Amberley Retirement Village** in April 2026 where aged care and retirement age were discussed. - The **Kaikōura electorate** includes significant retiree populations in Marlborough, Kaikōura, Hurunui, and North Canterbury — areas with high 65+ demographics. **Not** a minister, associate minister, or opposition spokesperson for seniors, health, housing, or social development portfolios. --- ## Public Background ### Early Life and Career - Born on a South Canterbury farm near Methven; father was a shearer and later a farmer. - Moved to Marlborough in 1994; purchased a half-share in wife's family vineyard. - Established Fairhall Downes Estate wine label with wife Julie (former occupational therapist). - Board member of NZ Winegrowers Association; **Chair from 2006 to 2012** (six years). - As chair, opposed cooperative consolidation models for the wine industry during a downturn. - Inducted as a **Fellow of the NZ Winegrowers Board** for services to the industry. - Member of the **New Zealand Institute of Directors**. - Sold vineyard in 2015. ### Political Career - **2013:** Successfully challenged three-term incumbent Colin King for National Party nomination in Kaikōura — one of only a few people to unseat a sitting National MP in a selection battle. - **2014:** Elected with majority of 12,570. - **2017, 2020, 2023:** Retained Kaikōura comfortably in all elections. - **List rankings:** 62nd (2014), 47th (2017), 32nd (2020), 56th (2023 — drop of 24 spots, but seat safe due to strong personal vote). - **2023–2025:** Appointed Chair of Finance and Expenditure Committee. - **Jan 2025:** Removed as FEC Chair mid-banking-inquiry without public explanation; replaced by Cameron Brewer. Official explanation: PM wanted to give newer MPs a "chance to develop." - **4 March 2025:** Appointed Chief Government Whip (salary increase of $43,200). ### Notable Political Positions - Voted **for** decriminalising abortion (Abortion Legislation Act 2020). - Voted **for** legalising euthanasia (End of Life Choice Act 2019) — supported the bill's passage while opposing most restrictive amendments. - **2021:** Proposed banning government departments from using "Aotearoa" without a public referendum. - **2021:** Labelled the Government's climate change plan "the science of bullshit" and suggested flooding would fall rather than rise with warming. - **Refused to attend COP26** — described it as "Flop26," saying agreements fell short of meaningful action. - Strong critic of the **offshore gas exploration ban**, calling it "crazy" and advocating gas as a bridge fuel. ### 2026 Leadership Controversy - In April 2026, Smith was at the centre of media reports that he had tried to contact PM Luxon about "flagging caucus support" but was allegedly unreachable ("ghosted"). - Smith initially declined to comment; after several days issued a denial via the PM's office. - Luxon won a subsequent confidence vote and expressed continued confidence in Smith. - Senior minister **Chris Bishop** expressed frustration with Smith's delayed response: "It would have been helpful, I think, frankly, if he'd said that a bit earlier." _Sources: Wikipedia; Newsroom (25 Apr 2026); RNZ (17 Apr 2026); NZ Herald (17 Apr 2026)_ --- ## Public Positions Relevant to Older New Zealanders | Issue | Position / Activity | Source | Date | | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | | **Retirement age** | Accompanied PM Luxon to Amberley Retirement Village where Luxon discussed raising the retirement age to 67, saying "National will have something more to say about it soon." Smith present at the discussion. | Marlborough App / ODT — David Hill, LDR | 15 Apr 2026 | | **Aged care funding & Retirement Villages Act** | Hosted PM Luxon in his electorate; PM identified aged care and coastal adaptation as major issues. Government planning new retirement village legislation with better resident protections. PM noted "it can be quite profitable running a retirement village, but it can be a lot more challenging running an aged care facility." | Marlborough App / ODT — David Hill, LDR; TSM Marlborough Facebook | 15 Apr 2026 | | **Retirement villages (engagement)** | Visited Ashwood Park Retirement Village; discussed roading upgrades, efficiencies, and seniors issues with residents. | Facebook (Stuart Smith MP) | 2025/2026 | | **General aged care/retirement discussion** | Published Facebook post noting aged care, saving for retirement, age of retirement, and improvements to the Retirement Villages Act as "pertinent" topics. | Facebook (Stuart Smith MP) | 2025/2026 | | **Health system — elective surgery (affects older people)** | Wrote opinion piece defending Govts health record: record $30bn/yr funding, 10,579+ additional procedures (cataracts, hip/knee replacements — procedures disproportionately affecting seniors), target of 95% treated within 4 months, private sector partnerships for elective surgery. | Stuff — Stuart Smith & Arena Williams | 3 Apr 2025 | | **Granny flats / housing for seniors** | Co-authored opinion piece supporting fast-tracking granny flats (up to 60m² without resource consent). Described policy as helping families and seniors. Noted 25%+ of non-homeowners spend >40% of income on housing. Changes effective mid-2025, saving up to $6,500 in fees. | Stuff — Stuart Smith & Arena Williams | 28 Jun 2024 | | **KiwiSaver / retirement savings** | Supported Government's KiwiSaver changes: minimum contributions raised to 3.5% (Apr 2026), rising to 4% (Apr 2028). Linked to retirement adequacy discussions. | Facebook (Stuart Smith MP); ODT | 2025–2026 | | **End of Life Choice Act (assisted dying)** | Voted strongly for the bill at all three readings. Older people with terminal illnesses directly affected. Voted against most restrictive amendments. | voted.nz; Parliament records | 2017–2019 | | **Climate adaptation (affects older property owners)** | As Chair of Finance & Expenditure Committee, oversaw the cross-party Climate Adaptation Inquiry. Addressed vulnerability of coastal communities (many retiree-heavy). Spoke at Marlborough Climate Action Week about the inquiry. | Facebook; RNZ "The House"; Humanitix event listing | 2024–2025 | | **Insurance reform (affects older homeowners)** | Introduced Insurance (Prompt Settlement of Claims for Uninhabitable Residential Property) Bill (2018) — 6-month time limit for insurers on earthquake claims, particularly relevant to older homeowners. Bill progressed to select committee but was withdrawn. | Stuff; Wikipedia | 2018–2020 | --- ## Parliamentary Activity ### Members' Bills Passed into Law 1. **Friendly Societies and Credit Unions (Regulatory Improvements) Amendment Bill** — Removed unnecessary compliance costs for credit unions; passed unanimously. 2. **Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Winery Cellar Door Tasting) Amendment Bill** (2023) — Regulatory reforms for winery cellar door operations; passed 105–9 (supported wine tourism in Marlborough). ### Current Member's Bill - **Local Government (Management of Local Authorities) Amendment Bill** — Drawn from ballot; proposes strengthening elected mayors/councillors' governance powers over council activities and increasing transparency/accountability. ### Other Bills - **Insurance (Prompt Settlement of Claims for Uninhabitable Residential Property) Bill** (2018) — Proposed 6-month time limit for insurers on earthquake claims; progressed to select committee but withdrawn after government work underway. ### Select Committee Involvement - **Finance and Expenditure Committee** (Chair, Dec 2023 – Feb 2025): Oversaw the Banking Inquiry and Climate Adaptation Inquiry. - **Primary Production Committee** (Deputy Chair, 2014–2017) - **Social Services Committee** (Deputy Chair, 2017) - **Business Committee** (Member, from Apr 2025 — standing committee role as Chief Whip) - Served on 11 different select committees over 12 years total. ### Inter-Parliamentary Union - NZ Chair of IPU; led NZ delegation to IPU 151 Assembly in Geneva (2024). Regularly presents at International Assembly (183 member nations). --- ## Declared Interests (Register of Pecuniary Interests — 30 January 2025) ### Companies and Business Entities (held in Tayler-Smith Family Trust) **Directly relevant to older New Zealanders / aged care / health / property:** | Entity | Sector | Relevance | |--------|--------|-----------| | **Ryman Healthcare Limited** | Retirement villages, aged care | **Directly relevant** — one of NZ's largest retirement village operators | | **Ramsay Health Care Limited** | Private hospitals, healthcare | Relevant — private healthcare access for seniors | | **Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited** | Medical devices, respiratory care | Relevant — products used in aged care and hospital settings | | **EBOS Group Limited** | Healthcare, medical, pharmaceutical distribution | Relevant — medical supply chain | | **Novo Nordisk A/S** | Pharmaceutical (diabetes, weight management) | Relevant — diabetes disproportionately affects older people | | **Johnson & Johnson** | Pharmaceutical, medical technologies | Relevant | | **ResMed Inc.** | Medical devices (sleep apnoea, respiratory) | Relevant | | **Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited** | Biopharmaceutical | Relevant | | **CSL Limited** | Biotechnology | Relevant | **Property interests (all held by Tayler-Smith Family Trust):** | Property | Location | Notes | |----------|----------|-------| | Family home | Dry Hills, Blenheim | — | | Apartment | Thorndon, Wellington | Parliamentary base | | Apartment (half-share) | Frankton, Queenstown | — | | Timeshare week | Queenstown Mews | — | | Rental property | Redwood, Blenheim | — | **Other investments held in trust:** Multiple entities including Amazon, Microsoft, Visa, Mastercard, Berkshire Hathaway, Spark NZ, Meridian Energy, Contact Energy, Genesis Energy, Mainfreight, Heartland Bank, Macquarie Group, Freightways, etc. **Debtors:** Tayler-Smith Family Trust (term loan owed to Smith) **Retirement schemes:** Fisher Funds KiwiSaver Plan **Gifts:** Rugby test tickets (x2 from Suncorp; x2 from SkyCity Entertainment) **Overseas travel:** Tarawa, Kiribati — helped induct new MPs, costs covered by UN Development Programme. --- ## Business-Decision Implications - **Ryman Healthcare shareholding** — Smith holds a beneficial interest in Ryman Healthcare via the Tayler-Smith Family Trust. This creates a pecuniary interest in the retirement village sector's regulatory environment (Retirement Villages Act amendments, aged care funding). - **Multiple property investments** — Owns residential and investment properties in Blenheim, Wellington, Queenstown. Property market conditions, tenancy law changes, and climate adaptation policy (coastal hazard management) directly affect his interests. - **Healthcare sector exposure** — Portfolio includes Ramsay Health Care, EBOS Group, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, ResMed, Novo Nordisk, Johnson & Johnson — giving broad healthcare sector exposure. - **Financial services investments** — Heartland Bank, Macquarie Group, Mastercard, Visa — relevant to banking/finance policy (he chaired the Banking Inquiry). - **Whip role means procedural power** — As Chief Whip, Smith controls caucus discipline and speaking times; his support or opposition can influence the progress of legislation including seniors-related bills. --- ## Campaign Relevance - **Safe National seat** — Kaikōura is a true-blue electorate; Smith held it through the 2020 Labour landslide and remains well-entrenched. - **List ranking dropped to 56** (2023) — suggests limited future ministerial prospects, especially after the April 2026 leadership controversy. Of 14 previous National chief whips this century, all but three became ministers. - **Electorate profile** — Kaikōura includes substantial retiree populations in Marlborough, Kaikōura, Hurunui, and North Canterbury. Aged care access, health services, roading, and climate resilience (coastal erosion, insurance) are live local issues. - **Granny flats policy** is a tangible campaign message that resonates with older homeowners wanting intergenerational housing solutions. - **No evidence of active campaigning on seniors-specific issues** beyond general electorate work and the PM's visit. --- ## Monitoring Terms Track for future relevance to seniors policy: - `Retirement Villages Act reform` — Legislation planned for 2026; Smith has shareholding in Ryman Healthcare. - `Retirement age / NZ Super age eligibility` — Luxon signalled National will have "more to say" before election. - `KiwiSaver compulsory contribution increases` — Rising to 4% by 2028; Smith supported. - `Aged Care Ministerial Advisory Group` — Recommendations and implementation. - `Climate Adaptation Act / managed retreat` — Smith chaired inquiry; affects older coastal homeowners and insurance costs. - `Health NZ elective surgery waiting times` — Hip/knee/cataract wait times are a seniors health issue. - `Rural health funding in Marlborough/Canterbury` — Electorate priority. - `Chief Whip procedural role in seniors-related bills` — His position can affect bill progression through the House. - `Ryman Healthcare / retirement village sector regulation` — Potential conflict of interest awareness. --- ## Source List | Source | URL | Date Accessed | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- | | NZ Parliament — Smith, Stuart (profile) | https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/members-of-parliament/smith-stuart/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | Wikipedia — Stuart Smith (politician) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Smith_(politician) | 8 Jun 2026 | | National Party — Stuart Smith profile | https://www.national.org.nz/team/stuartsmith | 8 Jun 2026 | | Newsroom — "Stuart Smith moves from the shadows to the spotlight" (Sam Sachdeva) | https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/04/25/stuart-smith-moves-from-the-shadows-to-the-spotlight/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | WhereTheyStand — Stuart Smith interests (Register of Pecuniary Interests, 30 Jan 2025) | https://wheretheystand.nz/people/stuart-smith/interests | 8 Jun 2026 | | Stuff — "Kaikōura MP Stuart Smith finds energy in his new portfolio" | https://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/127219346/kaikura-mp-stuart-smith-finds-energy-in-his-new-portfolio | 8 Jun 2026 | | Stuff — "Stuart Smith: Health plans must do what is best for New Zealanders" | https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360641080/stuart-smith-health-plans-must-do-what-best-new-zealanders | 8 Jun 2026 | | Stuff — "Granny flats are all very well — but what about houses?" (Smith & Williams) | https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350324826/granny-flats-are-all-very-well-what-about-houses | 8 Jun 2026 | | Marlborough App — "Prime Minister talks retirement age with Amberley retirees" (David Hill, LDR) | https://marlboroughapp.co.nz/news/articles/69ded6a71f4546fe561c23d0 | 8 Jun 2026 | | ODT — "Raising retirement age 'would help government': Luxon" | https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/raising-retirement-age-would-help-government-luxon | 8 Jun 2026 | | Interest.co.nz — "National replaces select committee chairman Stuart Smith" (Dan Brunskill) | https://www.interest.co.nz/public-policy/131716/stuart-smith-chairman-parliaments-finance-and-expenditure-committee-dropped | 8 Jun 2026 | | voted.nz — Stuart Smith voting record | https://voted.nz/people/smith-stuart/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | RNZ — "National's call for Aotearoa referendum 'absurd'" | https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/448375/national-s-call-for-aotearoa-referendum-absurd-and-ridiculous | 8 Jun 2026 | | Facebook — Stuart Smith MP (various posts including Ashwood Park Retirement Village, aged care, superannuation) | https://www.facebook.com/stuartsmith.national/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | TSM Marlborough Facebook — "Accompanied by MP Stuart Smith, the PM identifies aged care and coastal adaptation" | https://www.facebook.com/tsmmarlborough/posts/1563282325798551/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | DPMC — Cabinet Legislation Committee membership | https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/cabinet-committees/leg-cabinet-legislation-committee | 8 Jun 2026 | | Instagram — Stuart Smith MP post (member's bill) | https://www.instagram.com/p/DYPKCaCzC4E/ | 8 Jun 2026 | | Facebook — NZ Parliament (oral questions mention) | https://www.facebook.com/NZParliament/posts/947151927437786/ | 8 Jun 2026 | --- _Profile compiled by Hermes Agent cron job (8 June 2026). All factual claims attributed to sources above. Campaign rhetoric and media opinion distinguished from established fact where possible._